Confused or used - could this be the next generation?

Updated on June 26, 2009

can they endure the next storm?

Generation X

In places diversely divided by politics and show business
like where I reside, I wonder what is the collective pulse of the people
regarding policies on education, public service, entrepreneurship, even
religion and the like; of which more focus and attention should be spent in
improving these areas. But this is not confined to my country. It seems that this is rather a global
phenomenon. Politics and showbiz are prevalent themes in the news these
days. I can see that people have become
numb; the real issues are ignored and most just don’t care anymore. We have
expanded our neighbourhoods via the web.
We even have overcome our racial divide with our networks and social
clubs, or did we? The influx of information
on the internet seems to promote destructive rather than constructive awareness
to sensitive issues that demands concern.
It was said that ‘knowledge is power’.
The bible even stated that ‘the people perish due to lack of knowledge’
to that I say amen. Nonetheless, too
much information as we know today does not necessarily empower people. Instead, it creates a sub-culture who is just
sitting in the side-lines; who do not care nor listen to the real issues within
their environment, except to their inner circles. The system that supposedly should create an
all-inclusive society seems to create a new diverse society that is anti-social
and exclusive. Some end up more confused
rather than well informed. The web
enabled us to connect to the other side of the globe, a lot faster and
easier. People have made friends, even
virtual friends, with the convenience of laptop or pc and you don’t even need
to endanger yourself travelling to distant unknown places. That is a plus! Something that is unknown just a few decades
ago. You can shop, swap, chat, share a
photo or joke, join a club, do business, or even meet a hard-to-find lover via
the net. The almost impossible has
become the new reality.

But I am concerned mostly of the youth; the X or Y
generation as they are now called. For example: Games; which were an awful lot
in the net, were no longer ascribed to those who can physically or mentally
excel in sports, it’s now available to anyone to enjoy without feeling like
losers. Everybody can win with a flick
of a finger within the safety of your own room.
But notice; it is becoming more of a virtual world. Kids are not as sociable as in the past – in
many occasions. Indoor games are
preferred than outdoor ones, which is vital to muscle growth, coordination and
social development of our children.
Parents even encourage their kids to stay indoors, watch TV or play
video instead of them playing in the sun, running or climbing trees, getting
physical, etc. Though it is true that
knowledge is disseminated faster with these tools available, kids tend to be
more confused when it comes to role-modelling.
Heroes are no longer those who attained a worthy achievement, rather,
those who were beautiful, sexy, or making a lot of money, whether famous or
infamous. There is where politics and
showbiz come. Worse, even cartoon
characters became heroes/heroines to the young mind. These in turn may grow up into a world of
make-believe; that will be their reality.
Not the real world the older generation knew. This is just one aspect of my argument.

However, we may be looking at the product of this emerging youth
culture. The incidents of youth crime
and violence that can be attested to anti-social behaviour and some other
unexplained root-causes, suggests that there is more confusion in the young
minds than ever before. The youth is
exposed to a lot of garbage, or shall I say – mental pollution, that some do
not have the capability to distinguish right and wrong anymore. Some have been synthesized by too much
unfiltered or bad information that they have grown numb to the real issues a
young mind should know. We now live in a
world that seems to be closer together yet so far from each other. We have expanded our circle of friends
globally but we neglect our physical neighbours, often than not – we don’t even
know who they were. So close yet so
far. Aren’t we supposed to love our
neighbours? You see, it is so hard to
love someone you don’t even know, don’t you think so?

There is a saying “someone’s trash is another man’s
treasure” or you may reverse it as you wish – I think it will still be
relevant. In this information age – there is more trash than treasure circling
around. And there is no sure-cure on how
to treat the trash because to a confused mind; a trash and a treasure doesn’t
make much difference. Could it be that
this is a sinister plan to sow confusion by too much information? A form of
mental conditioning if you will; and even propagated by the very learning
institutions we highly esteemed. Is it possible that this whole scenario is
wide conspiracy to keep people fragmented and easier to manipulate or control? Yet my
point here is – knowledge does not necessarily mean progress. Rather, let’s be
selective and more reflective in processing information. Nobody in his right
mind will denounce progress. We aim for
it, we embrace it, we work hard for it, and we promote its virtue. We crave for new things; even complicated
things. The more complex, the more
desirable it becomes. Simple life is no
longer the sought-after trend. We sway where the wind
blows without knowing what or who is blowing the wind. We are beings geared for progress, or at
least that’s how we want to think. Governments work to promote progress but
instead of evolving into a greater culture, we devolve into a mess what we have
today. We want to conform, yet we desire to be unique without realizing that
those two can not co-exist evenly. Can
you feel the pinch? The family; which is
the core of any social structure once was close-knit and bonded by real
love. Now it has become an institution
of diversified individuals and the love has grown cold due to harsh
realities. We can not afford to stay on
the side lines and allow this to degenerate further.

If we can only teach the youth values that can disengage
them from politics and showbiz; we may able to reverse this trend. Then perhaps
the next generation will have a bright future. This is not impossible but it
will be rough. It will demand a real ‘change in men’ and a lot of ‘change of
men’ in the forefront. This demands
active participation in all social sectors without personal interests and with
due regard to the real issues dissecting families. Another is to set aside
politics and showbiz and place them on proper perspective. This will also call for role reversal or
re-modelling, timeless family values will be embraced and encouraged once
again; where parental leadership will be put to high esteem again. Let’s help foster community values to enrich
our cultures and allow others to thrive, though they do not share our
interests. Let other people develop
their own identity; this is achievable for the willing. If only governments
would stop pretending to know the answers of social problems; even meddling
with other governments and other peoples’ lives. If only we can carve out a better definition
of good governance. Of course, tough consistent leadership is needed for a
change, but it should not be confined to the will and wiles of politicians or
the famous. It should be integrated even
to the lowest core of our society – the family. What have we been doing as a family? Let’s work to recapture what has been lost, and the
time is now!

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